Addressing the systemic challenges of underinvestment in prevention

Ellie Tunnicliffe, Sian Hodgson, Grace Hampson, Kelsey Moore, Charlotte Ashton-Khan and Graham Cookson

Grant-Funded Research from Office of Health Economics

Abstract: Prevention of ill-health is an underexploited tool for protecting health systems and societies. It offers the potential to curb increasing demand for healthcare services, increase participation in education and the workforce, and reduce inequality. However, despite extensive evidence of the potential benefits, spending on prevention is routinely deprioritised. Underinvestment in prevention is driven by a fundamental misalignment between the characteristics of prevention and the way health systems are governed and financed. Prevention delivers benefits over long time horizons, often outside political and budgetary cycles; benefits tend to accrue across multiple sectors, while funding decisions are made within siloed budgets, and…

JEL-codes: I1 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2026-06-08
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